Thoughts of a Third Culture Kid

Mambo!  My family and I have settled into Dar es Salaam and have started our ministry to ABWE missionaries.   A few weeks ago, we went on our first trip to South Sudan to visit the Siglers who are missionaries out there!                                                                         The Siglers We had to fly on a tiny plane that only has six seats to get there, and we arrive and the runway is a dirt path with cows that decided to lay down in the middle of it.  They should have had a sign that said: Welcome to the Middle of Nowhere!  If any of you are wondering, that is where we were. See that windy path that just looks like a road? That is the river we had to cross to reach the village.  If you thought that was the river....wishful thinking.       This is not the road either.  That was the runway that is not as smooth as it looks.... We were out in the African bush, complete with the tribes and villages.  You know, the classic African tribe where clothes are o

Mambo! My sister and I have just entered what some kids call a heart-breaking, soul crushing, time consuming, mind numbing environment .....school.  We have enrolled in our first school ever  (we were previously home schooled).  It is an international Christian school in Dar Es Salaam called HOPAC, and we have we have almost survived are first month here! We joined the school just in time to experience their International Day, which I'll explain in a moment.  My little sister has started at a local pre-school and has been making lots of friends, and my parents are tackling learning Swahili.  In just a few weeks, we will be going on our first trip to South Sudan to visit the missionaries there! The school has been awesome!  I have to admit, we were both a little nervous to start.  We had millions of really silly questions, such as "what's homeroom?"  But it went smoothly, and now we are loving some super cool aspects of going to school, such as hands-on science,

Mambo! (Swahili greeting) We've been in Tanzania for over a month now! Can't believe it. My sister and I are starting at the international school in just a few days.  First. School. Ever. We've met some girls in our grade these past few weeks, and we have been given some opportunities to spend some time with them.  That was great and has helped us look forward to experiencing school...it will be a first! As we've been hanging out with the different missionaries, even ones from different mission organizations, it's made me think about how close of a community it is on the mission field. For an organization of any occupation to function well, the members have to work as a team.  That is the only way an organization can work.  The same goes for missionaries.  But, unlike a normal job, a missionary team has to work like a family.    For most of us MKs (missionary kids), we are away from grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, maybe even other siblings!  It is har

Hey there!  My family arrived in Dar es Salaam a little over a week ago, and we are currently trying to "learn" the culture around here.  The culture in Tanzania is much different compared even to South African culture, not to mention the fact that we just spent six months in the United States.  That alone gave us a little bit of shock when we arrived here!                             We had fourteen suitcases, five carry-ons, and five backpacks.                          Unfortunately for us, we couldn't use the trailer in the airport.    One of the challenging things about being an MK (missionary kid) is that you have to adapt into a new culture.  When you move to a different country, for the first or the second time, it is always starting over.  But we get to choose the different attitudes we have about it. Some MKs love the move!  They arrive in the new place and absolutely love the culture, the food, and the weather.  And that is perfectly OK!  Now, unfo

 My family is almost done with our seven-month furlough, so I thought this would be a good time to share a few of my thoughts and tips on furlough.  There were tons of things that I enjoyed on furlough, but seven months away from home becomes hard for me and my siblings.  While furlough is fun, it gets challenging.               My little sister loves spending time with family when on  furlough One of the most obvious reasons for why it is so difficult is that it is just hard to be separated from friends.  If your furloughs are similar to mine, you are probably visiting supporters and family almost every other day!  But no matter how many people you see, you still miss your close friends.  You miss having kids your age to talk with.  When on furlough, I've found myself holding back from starting a friendship because I know we'll be leaving in just a few months!  And after I assume that mindset, I feel lonely. Reason number two is that visiting churches, talking with p